Regional Sounding Tours

What do Canadians think about the future of work and skills?

In collaboration with The Conference Board of Canada, FSC held two Regional Sounding Tours (RSTs). These consultation meetings taking place in every province and territory connect Canadians who are actively engaged in the country’s skills and training community, as well as individuals interested in learning more about skills development and the future of work. We talked with Canadians who are actively engaged in the country’s skills and training community, as well as individuals interested in learning more about skills development and the future of work.

Facilitating group discussions through the RSTs offers an opportunity to engage in a conversation with FSC on your experiences of what works—and what doesn’t—when it comes to skills development. Your feedback allows us to tailor our work to meet the needs of local communities today and in the future.  

We wanted to know:

  • How are economies, jobs, education, and training changing across Canada?
  • How can we support pandemic recovery?
  • How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted local labour markets, economies, and society?
  • What do Canadians think will be necessary to train a future generation of students and workers?

We wanted to know what does—and doesn’t—work for skills development, and how skills and training play a role in leaders’ strategic priorities. The first round pf RSTs were held in-person between October 2019 and October 2020.

The Virtual Regional Sounding Tour (VRST) focused on how the country has been impacted by COVID-19, and how the Future Skills Centre can help on the road to recovery. The VRSTs were held virtually between December 2020 and March 2021.

What Did We Learn?

Five key themes emerged from the consultation with Canadians during the Regional sounding Tours, including:

Related Content

women in engineering
Research

Skilled Trades and Entrepreneurship: The Need for Business Competencies

This report set out to explore two questions: 1) To what extent should entrepreneurship be recognized as a critical dimension of the skilled trades, and 2) which competencies are most essential for entrepreneurs in the skilled trades to succeed?
Renewable energy experts discussing solar panel project
Research

Greenification of SMEs

This report provides an investigation of existing competency frameworks for green skills in order to identify a framework suited to SMEs. We found current frameworks typically focus on new workforce training and large-enterprise models, and lack consideration of Canadian-specific regulations, smaller organization structures and accessible technical skills.
Young man in overalls eating sandwich and talking to his colleagues during lunch at warehouse
Research

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Backlash? What Canadian Workers Really Think

There has been limited data about how Canadian workers themselves feel about increased EDI workplace scrutiny and backlash. Our research reveals that despite some vocal opposition, the data shows that most Canadians view EDI measures in the workplace positively, with strong support among equity-deserving groups, younger workers and those with positive job experiences.